What kind of customs do modern places have in Tanabata?

It's time for the annual Tanabata, the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar, which is the traditional Chinese festival of Tanabata. Nowadays, most people's perception of Tanabata corresponds to the Western Valentine's Day, and even think that Tanabata is the Chinese Valentine's Day, but in fact, Tanabata is also the Daughter's Day. In fact, there are many traditional ways of celebrating Tanabata that have been handed down from ancient times to the present. Some of them are popular on a large scale and some of them are passed down on a small scale. What kind of customs do modern places have in Tanabata? Next we'll find out today.

The common custom of Tanabata is to worship the moon and beg for coquettish, wear a needle to the moon, etc. In addition to some familiar Tanabata customs, there are actually some customs in different places.

1, Zhejiang

The Tanabata Festival

In Jiaxing, Zhejiang Tanghui Village, ancient Doujing Village, there is a Tanabata Festival. Every year on the eve of the seventh day of the seventh month, people rushed to participate in the building of incense bridges. The so-called incense bridge, is a variety of thick and long wrapped head incense (paper wrapped incense) built about four or five meters long, about half a meter wide bridge, fitted with railings, in the railings tied to the five-color thread made of flower decorations. At night, people worship the two stars to beg for good fortune, and then the incense bridge incinerated, symbolizing the two stars have walked across the incense bridge, joyfully meet. This incense bridge is derived from the legendary magpie bridge legend. Now this custom is still passed down in the local area, we are interested in going to the local see oh

Women shampooing, catching dew

Women shampooing on the eve of Tanabata, is also a special custom. It has been documented in the area of Jiangsu and Zhejiang for a very long time. The famous prose writer Qijun (Zhejiang) of the "bun" also mentioned his mother and aunt and other female relatives, are in the Tanabata bathing hair. This custom is related to the belief of "holy water" on Tanabata. It is believed that taking spring and river water on the eve of the seventh day of the seventh day of the seventh month, just like taking the water of the Milky Way, has the sacred power of cleansing. Some places directly call it "Tian Sun (i.e., the Weaving Maiden) holy water." Therefore, women bathe their hair on this day, also has a special meaning, on behalf of the Milky Way in the sacred water to purify the hair, will be able to obtain the Goddess of the Weaving God's blessing.

The custom of catching dew in a basin is also popular. Legend has it that the dew at the Tanabata Festival is the tears of the Cowherd and the Weaving Maiden at the time of their meeting, such as rubbing it on the eyes and hands, can make one's eyes and hands.

Now Jiangsu and Zhejiang may still have the custom of shampooing on the eve of the seventh day of the seventh month, but will no longer be the pomp and circumstance of groups, as for the custom of catching the dew only in some areas, and gradually not common, and more of the old generation of personal behavior, there is no official organization of large-scale activities.

2, Guangdong

Welcome the fairy

The evening of the seventh month of the lunar calendar to the seventh night, the girls put on new clothes, wear new jewelry, incense and candles, kneeling to the starry night sky, known as the "welcome the fairy", from the third to the fifth night of the lunar calendar, to the starry night, to the starry night, to the starry night, to the starry night, to the starry night, to the starry night, to the starry night, to the starry night, to the starry night. From the third night to the fifth night, to worship seven times. After worshiping the fairy, the girls hold colored threads against the shadow of the lamp will thread through the needle holes, such as a breath of seven needle holes can be pierced by a person called the coquettish, known as the coquettish, less than seven needle holes pierced by the coquettish called the loss of the coquettish. The older generation is more concerned about the younger generation will organize the young girls in the family to do this custom.

Seven Maidens' Meeting

In Guangdong, the most importance was attached to the Tanabata Festival during the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, and many interesting customs were passed down. In Qu Dajun's "New Words of Guangdong", it is recorded that in the early Qing Dynasty, the "Seven Sisters' Meeting" was held, which was often called "Worshiping the Seven Sisters". According to the recollection of the old people who participated in the activity of "Worshiping Seven Sisters" during the Republic of China, "Worshiping Seven Sisters" was especially popular in the Xiguan area of Guangzhou. The activity is usually carried out among young girls and young women (men and older women can only watch and worship from the sidelines), and is prepared in advance by a dozen or so sisters who are close to each other. In June, they will soak some rice grains, wheat grains, mung beans, etc., in a porcelain bowl and let them germinate. This activity is still practiced in some places in Guangdong.

3, Taiwan

Worship "bed mother"

Taiwan Tanabata worship seven mother mother outside, and often also another small bowl of oil rice to the room to worship! Production, child-rearing, "bed mother", is the protection of children, July 7 is the bed mother's birthday, families with children at home, in the evening of the day, in the children sleep in the bed beside the bed to worship the bed mother; offerings include: oil and rice, chicken wine (or sesame oil chicken), burning "four sides of the gold" and "bed mother clothes," to worship the bed mother should not be too long, unlike the usual worship to pour three rounds of wine, about offerings are set up, incense points After the offerings are set up and the incense is lit, you can prepare to burn the "four sides of gold" and "bed mother clothes", and then withdraw the offerings after burning them in the hope that the child will grow up quickly, and you can't worship for too long for fear that the bed mother will spoil the child by staying in bed, etc. Nowadays, some places in Taiwan still have this tradition. This custom is still practiced in some parts of Taiwan.

4, Guangxi

Swimming seven sister water

In Baise, Guangxi, Jingxi and other places, people in the Tanabata day will go down to the river to bathe. Folk believe that the water on the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar is very holy and clean, which can not only drive away evil spirits and avoid diseases, but also make their love and happy life. This custom is related to the local legend of seven fairies descending to the earth to take a bath and has been passed down to the present day. Since the weather is still relatively hot on the seventh day of the seventh month, this custom is still very popular among certain ethnic minorities in Guangxi.

Storage of water on the eve of the seventh

Some areas in Guangxi have the custom of storing water on the eve of the seventh, that the double seven water bath can eliminate disasters and diseases, and the infirm children are often in this day will be seven knots of the red head rope knots, worn around the neck, praying for health and good luck. Older generations in rural areas still continue this custom.

5, Shaanxi

Knotting coquettish

Shanxi Loess Plateau region, in the night of the Tanabata Festival, there are also a variety of begging for activities of the custom, the women are often to tie the straw man wearing a flower dress, called coquettish, not only for the fruits and gourds, but also planted beans, green onions, in the night of the Tanabata Festival. On the night of the eve of the family women are hand-held bowl of water, cut bean seedlings, green onions, into the water, look at the shadow of the cast under the moon to divine the life of the skillful, but also threading the needle and thread, competition between the high and the low. At the same time, there are also activities to compare the skill of window cuttings. Some rural villages in Shaanxi still hold such events, bringing together young girls from eight villages, although some have now evolved into matchmaking events between men and women.

6, Shandong

Eating coquettish rice

Shandong Jancheng, Cao County, plains and other places to eat coquettish rice begging for coquettish custom is very interesting: seven good girls set food collection vegetable dumplings, a coin, a needle and a date were wrapped into three dumplings, begging for coquettish! After the event, they get together to eat dumplings, and legend has it that those who eat money are lucky, those who eat needles are skillful, and those who eat jujubes get married early. This custom is still practiced, but in a small way, and some young people are not very familiar with it.

Personal experience: My hometown in the South, Tanabata is generally considered to be Valentine's Day, know that the daughter of the Festival is not much, because Tanabata is also not a holiday, so there was not much attention to the previous, as if as a Valentine's Day businessmen to engage in activities before the gradual heat, the traditional customs passed down to the few, most of the people who organized some of the older generation, there is no large-scale customary activities. There is no large-scale customary activities, instead of becoming a gimmick shopping malls to engage in activities to promote more, selling flowers, watching movies, mutual gifts, sometimes certain shopping malls will have a rose wall and small light activities, of course, Tanabata can also be girlfriends and friends to go out to play together, shopping and eating, feeling that in addition to the young young couples, the atmosphere of the festival is actually not very strong.